The Recital
by furubafan74
Summary: Irko fluff.  Zuko has a recital, Iroh almost misses it, takes Gaang out for ice cream afterward.  No ship bashing please.  Oneshot.


Zuko waited nervously just off stage. The butterflies in his stomach felt like they were the size of rhinos. He didn't know _why_ he was so nervous. He had practiced the sonata he was going to be performing dozens of times. He could play it in his sleep. He peeked around the curtain. His friends were all there in the front row, but he couldn't see his Uncle. Where was he? He _never_ missed any of Zuko's recitals.

"Thank you, Adam. That was Adam Smith, performing 'The Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven. Next up, we have Zuko Ohasi performing 'Sonata No.1 in G Minor' from 'The Chaconne in D Minor' by J.S. Bach. Zuko?" His uncle still wasn't there. Just as Zuko lifted his violin to begin the doors banged open with his uncle's arrival. Iroh stood just inside the doors for a moment before walking down the aisle calmly. Uncle, apparently, had decided to pretend that he **hadn't **just banged the door open, interrupting the recital, and drawing everyone's attention. He took the seat Zuko's friends were saving for him in the front row and beamed up at Zuko.

Zuko smiled back and began the sonata. When he finished, his uncle was the first to stand to applaud, followed by his friends and the rest of the audience. It was a little embarrassing actually, since no one else had gotten a standing ovation.

His uncle met him backstage as soon as the recital was over.

"I'm sorry I was late, my nephew. There was a traffic accident, and it took a while to reach an intersection so I could take a detour."

"I figured there was a good reason."

"Hey, Zuko! That was great."

"Thanks, Aang."

"We would have got you flowers, but there weren't any you'd like at the florist."

"That's okay. You guys showing up is more than enough for me." All of his friends gave him congratulatory hugs, with the longest from his uncle.

"Let's get ice cream to celebrate my nephew's wonderful performance. My treat."

As Zuko's friends laughed and joked over ice cream, his uncle pulled him aside.

"You'll be spending the night at my house, nephew?" Zuko smiled at him.

"Of course, Uncle." His father didn't approve of Zuko playing the violin. It would be best for Zuko's health if he didn't go home that night. Of course, he also didn't approve of his friends, or of his spending so much time with his uncle. Ozai didn't really approve of anything that made Zuko happy.

"You're welcome to stay the weekend if you want. You have clothes at my house so you won't have to go home. We can have your friends over on Saturday, too."

"Thanks, Uncle. That sounds fun. We'll have to ask them." Katara shrieked as Toph dropped Aang's ice cream down her back.

"Aang!" Katara sounded outraged. She must have decided to blame Aang since he was the only one now missing an ice cream cone.

"It wasn't me! It was Toph!" Toph assumed an innocent expression. Zuko couldn't believe Katara actually fell for it.

"Really, Aang? You honestly expect me to fall for that?"

"It's true!" She snorted and turned her back, pointedly ignoring Aang.

"It really was Toph, Katara. Uncle and I both saw her do it."

"Thank you, Zuko. It's nice that _one_ of my friends stood up for me and told the truth." Aang glared at Sokka as he spoke. The tan boy grinned back, unashamed.

"And earn Katara's wrath by disagreeing with her? I don't think so, Aang. I like you, but not _that_ much."

"What do you mean 'earn Katara's wrath'? You make it sound like I have a short temper and can't handle being disagreed with!"

"You do, Sweetness, and you can't."

"I most certainly can!" The two continued arguing until the manager came over.

"Sir, if you cannot control these teenagers, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Iroh smiled at the man.

"My apologies, sir. We were just leaving, weren't we, Zuko?"

"Yeah. Talk to you later guys." His friends chorused their goodbyes.

"Hey, Iroh? Can you guys drop me off at my uncle's house? I was gonna walk home but then we went out for ice cream and everything."

"Of course, Aang. I don't mind. Do you mind, Zuko?"

"No, of course not." Why would he? Aang was his best friend. Besides, Gyatso's house was on their way home anyway. Aang smiled crookedly at both of them.

"Thanks, guys. I would ask Sokka to drive me, but Toph is going with them, and she and Katara are probably going to argue the whole time. They're going the other way anyway."

"That's all right, Aang." Zuko could hear Katara and Toph resuming their argument as soon as they had left the ice cream parlor.

"Aang, you coming?"

"Iroh and Zuko are giving me a ride. Thanks for offering though, Sokka."

"Lucky you. I get to be stuck with these two the whole way home." Both girls hit him for that comment.

"Ow! What'd I do?"

"Poor Sokka." Zuko snickered at his uncle's comment.


End file.
